Neuropsychiatric disorders are some of the most debilitating, socially isolating and economically draining of all illnesses. The manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders, often mistaken as willful or controllable behaviors cause the illness to be misdiagnosed and thus poorly treated. Most treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders have severe and devastating side effects. These side effects will often discourage the patient from continuing treatment and are often the cause of relapse.
Psychotic disorders represent the most difficult of all neuropsychiatric disorders to control. The invariate nature of the presentation of symptoms of these disorders, together with the side effects exhibited by medications used to alleviate these symptoms, makes their treatment difficult.
The introduction of antipsychotic drugs in the 1950's heralded the “golden age” of psychopharmacology. Their development has been compared to the discovery of antibiotics for infectious diseases. Conventional or “typical” antipsychotic drugs, typified by chlorpromazine and haloperidol, have a proven track record in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, the “typical” antipsychotics described below have substantial limitations. They are most effective against the psychotic symptoms of the illness in its early stages, but their side effects are troubling and contribute significantly to non-compliance, which leads to relapse and re-hospitalization.